Twin beam flashlight



Aug. 28, 1951 A. F. YANDT TWIN BEAM FLASHLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1949 Inventor 'III/ 42 :IIIIIIIIIIIL'IVIIIIII Arthur F. Yand/ waafizn. By W a Attorneys Aug. 28, 1951 F, YANDT 2,566,280

TWIN BEAM FLASHLIGHT Filed March 51, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 58 I 2 60 a l 62: lr/4 4 5 a Fig. 6 Inventor d ug Arthur F. Yandt g; By W Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED vSTA'IES* -PA'I'ENT OFFICE I TWIN BEAM FLASHLIGHT Arthur F, Yandt, South Pasadena, Calif.

' Application March 31, 1949, Serial'No. 84,623

7 2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in flash.- lights, and the principal object of the invention is to. provide a flashlight capable of casting, independently or simultaneously, two beams of light. This object is achieved by the provision of a flashlight embodying two. separate incandescent lamp units, and the primary feature of the invention resides in the provision of a switch, mechanism whereby one or both of the, lamp units may be selectively energized asdesired.

One of the advantages ofv the invention resides in its ability to provide illumination of two different intensities, while another advantage thereof is in the arrangement whereby'one incandescent 1 lamp unit is still available for use in the event the second, lamp unit becomes inoperative by reason of lamp failure,,or the like.

Some of the other advantages of the invention reside, in its simplicity of, construction, in its con.-

venient operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more importantobjects and features in view and suchother objects-and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the inventionconsists essentially in the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in, the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the in vention, the samebeing partially broken away so as to reveal its construction;

Figure 2 is a side elevatlonal view thereof, also partially broken away;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Fig ure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken sub stantially in the plane of the line 55 in Figure 1; and

Figure 6c is a cross sectional view taken su stantially in the plane of the line 6-6 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of what may be referred to as a twin beam flashlight, designated generally by the reference character It), the same embodying in its construction a substantially tubular housing 12 which is adapted to accommodate one or more dry cell batteries M which are in a series electrical circuit in accordance with conventional practice. The lower end por tion of the housing I2 is screw-threaded to receive a removable cap l6 which not only serves to retain the batteries [4 in position in the housing, but also provides means for grounding the batteries to thehousing in the conventional man ner.

The upperend portion of the housing 12 is also screw-threaded as at Hi to receive the minor end portion of an-enlarged head 2!! configurated substantially as shown, the major end of this head being open and being provided with a removable cover 22 which is retained in position on the head by a plurality of indented detents 24 which are engageable with, complementary indentations in the head, as will be clearly apparent from Figure 1.

The cover 22 is. formed with a pair of openings surrounded by internally screw-threaded and inturned flanges 26, each of these being adapted to accommodate one of a pair of substantially frusto-conical reflectors 28 together with a lens 30.

-The reflectors 28 provide sockets for a pair of incandescent lamps 32, 34, it being understood that the; metallic bases of the lamps are grounded to the body of the flashlight through the medium of the-reflectors 28, cover 22, head 2c and the housing [2.

What may be referred to as a switch plate 35 is'formed'from insulating material and is secured in the. head 20 under the lamps 32, 34 by means of suitable brackets or cleats 38, this plate carrying a pair of fiat-headed studs 48, 42 which are adapted to be in electrical contact with the terminals of the respective lamps 32, 34, as is best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

spective'studs 40,42, matters being so arranged that the strip' M'is; disposed below and the strip 46 above the plate 36, as illustrated in Figure 1. The plate 35 is provided intermediate the studs 40, 42 with an aperture 48 and free end portions of the strips 44, 46 respectively underlie and overlie the aperture 48, as shown.

Needless to say, the strips 44, 46 are in electrical contact with the lamps 32, 34, respectively, and it is to be noted that the free end portion of the underlying strip 44 is equipped with an upwardly projecting contact pin 50 which is slidably receivable in the aperture 48 and is adapted to engage the strip 46, as will be hereinafter described. However, a compression spring 52 is positioned on the pin -56 between the under surface of the plate 36 and the strip 44, whereby the pin 50 is urged out of contact with the strip 46, as will be clearly apparent.

A switch member assuming the form of a fiat bar 54 is slidable longitudinally in the housing I2 and an intermediate portion thereof is struck out and angulated to slidably project through a slot 56 with which the housing I 2 is provided, this struck out and angulated portion constituting a tongue 58 which is rigidly secured to an externally manipulable switch knob 60. The latter is disposed, of course, exteriorly on the housing l2 and it will be apparent that by simply sliding the knob 66, the member 5 5 may be slid longitudinally in the housing, as indicated by the arrow 62.

An insulating strip 64 is provided between the member 54 and the housing 12, while an insulating tab 84 is disposed between the tongue 56 and the knob 66 so that the latter is not electrified.

It is to be noted that the upper end portion of the switch member 5 3 is laterally angulated as at 66, the portion 66 beingengageable with the head 66 of the aforementioned pin 56.

It is to be noted that the upper end of the housing 12 terminates in an inturned flange i6 which provides a keeper seat for an annular member 72 formed from insulating material, this member including a diametricall extending por tion 74 to which is secured a resilient contact brush or strip 76 by means of a rivet 18. The latter, in turn, is in electrical contact with the battery or batteries it, and it will be apparent from the foregoing that the brush it serves to establish an electrical connection between the batteries and the slidable switch member 54.

When the invention is placed in use and the knob or button 66 is disposed in its initial position as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the switch member 54 is electrified through the medium of the brush 16, but the angulated portion 66 of the switch member is separated from the head 68 of the pin 56 and, accordingly, the lamps 32, 34 are not energized.

However, by simply sliding the knob 60 upwardly to an intermediate position, the angulated portion 66 of the switch member 54 is brought in contact with the head 68 of the pin 56, and accordingly, electric current is delivered through the medium of the switch member 54, contact strip M, and the stud 40 to the lamp 32, thereby energizing the latter while the lamp 34 remains inactive.

Finally, by sliding the knob 60 to its ultimate or uppermost position, the engagement of the switch member portion 66 with the pin 50 will slide this pin upwardly through the aperture 48 into engagement with the contact strip 46, whereby the lamp 34 as well as the lamp 32 will be energized, as will be clearly apparent.

By virtue of this arrangement, the switch mechanism is capable of energizing the lamps 32, 34 selectively, so that either the lamp 32 or both of the lamps 32 and 34 may be illuminated as desired.

For illustrative purposes, the position of the switch member portion 66 has been illustrated in Figure 2 by full lines when the switch member is in its initial or lowered position, while the phantom lines 80, 82 designate the position of the switch member portion 66 when the switch member is in its intermediate and ultimate positions respectively, as above explained.

It should be added that the brush 16 may be suitably arcuated or angulated as shown in Figure 2, so that it frictionally engages the switch member 54 and establishes an electrical contact between the member and the batteries Hi.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and, accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a flashlight, the combination of a housing, a battery therein, an enlarged head provided on said housing, a pair of incandescent lamps mounted in said head in juxtaposed relation, a transverse switch plate provided in said head and formed with an aperture, a pair of resilient contact strips secured to the opposite sides of said plate and each in circuit with one of said lamps, said strips having free end portions underlying and overlying said aperture, a switch member slidable in said housing and in circuit with said battery, said switch member being slidable from an initial inoperative position to an intermediate position wherein it engages the contact strip underlying said aperture, and a contact pin provided on the last-mentioned contact stri and slidable in said aperture to contact the remaining strip upon sliding of said switch member from the intermediate to an ultimate position.

2. The device as defined in claim. 1 together with a compression spring positioned on said pin between said plate and the underlying contact strip for urging the pin out of contact with the strip overlying said aperture.

ARTHUR F. YANDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,287,918 Drufva Dec. 17, 1918 1,289,274 Rothenberg Dec. 31, 1918 1,448,353 Barany Mar. 13, 1923 2,317,727 Bonanno 1 Apr. 27, 1943 2,369,637 Baird Feb. 20, 1945 

